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[Lord Error]

Nah. The last few Pixar films have been a bit generic. I think, what with Dreamworks and Disney's in-house teams moving to CG, the novelty has well and truly worn off for me and the idea of paying full price for yet another "big stars tediously voice unexciting CGI models" feature leaves me a bit cold

You're badly wrong on that movie If anything there are no big stars in it - it succeeds on it's own merits, not because some big name is voicing its characters.

 

[captive]

I've found that high expectations aren't really worth anyone's time. It wasn't the best movie I've seen all year, but the performances by Washington and Crowe were still top-notch. Throw in a surprise performance from Josh Brolin and you have a movie worth owning in my opinion. The cinematography was well-done as well. There are more to movies than plot, which admittedly didn't go as far as I was hoping.

I can certainly see why someone would like it, it just didnt do anything for me.

Not sure why you qualified with a blu title unless you were afraid of being a troll. I'd hope anyone in this thread can speak on movies coming out for either platform without being labeled as a troll, but apparently that isn't the case.

No i saw it at the same time as American Gangster and had equally high expectations because of Phoenix, Robert Duvall etc. But again was disappointed

 

[lachesis]

Probably old news, but I just got an e-mail from Netflix, that they are now going blu-ray exclusive on their rentals. Current ones will be available, but not any new ones.

I guess it's really over. As far as I'm concerned, I'm quite happy that I have HD-DVD though. At least I've got bourn trilogy on it!

 

[jeremy_ricci]

Nah. The last few Pixar films have been a bit generic. I think, what with Dreamworks and Disney's in-house teams moving to CG, the novelty has well and truly worn off for me and the idea of paying full price for yet another "big stars tediously voice unexciting CGI models" feature leaves me a bit cold.

I'll probably watch it eventually, but I'm certainly not paying launch price for it.

Ratatouilli is really really good, and visually it's a knockout...I recommend it.

 

[OokieSpookie]

Ratatouilli is really really good, and visually it's a knockout...I recommend it.

Agreed.
I am not a big fan of Pixar but I loved Rat

 

[rage1973]

Ratatouilli is really really good, and visually it's a knockout...I recommend it.

But Cars was a big dud.

 

[VanMardigan]

But Cars was a big dud.

I like both and can't wait for those two (plus Pirates 3) to hit the BOGO (or even B2G1) scene.

 

[xS1TH L0RDx]

just picked up we own the night and gone baby gone.

i'm looking forward to the soundscan data that reflects this week's numbers, should be interesting. are there any hd-dvd releases this week?

 

[RaidenZR]

Nah. The last few Pixar films have been a bit generic. I think, what with Dreamworks and Disney's in-house teams moving to CG, the novelty has well and truly worn off for me and the idea of paying full price for yet another "big stars tediously voice unexciting CGI models" feature leaves me a bit cold.

I'll probably watch it eventually, but I'm certainly not paying launch price for it.

Janeane Garofalo does an awesome job as Colette and you'd never know it was her. It was an actual voice-acting job, and a well-done one at that. She really personified the character design and unique attitude.

 

[Xater]

just picked up we own the night and gone baby gone.

i'm looking forward to the soundscan data that reflects this week's numbers, should be interesting. are there any hd-dvd releases this week?

Can please comment on the PQ of Gone Baby Gone? I really liked that movie and although it will take 2 more months to be released here I guess the transfer should be the same because it is also a Disney release.

 

[Raistlin]

Crap ... I think I missed the Amazon UK B2G1.

 

[VanMardigan]

just picked up we own the night and gone baby gone.

i'm looking forward to the soundscan data that reflects this week's numbers, should be interesting. are there any hd-dvd releases this week?

HD DVD has had a terrible start to the year (besides Zodiac). Just like last year. This week's nothing (an independent release and girls gone wild).

Next week is American Gangsters and the delayed Warner release of The Invasion though.

 

[VictimOfGrief]

I'll be picking up American Gangster. Movie f'ning owned.

 

[YYZ]

Is there going to be a double dip of The Assassination of Jesse James?

 

[Jtrizzy]

Have you guys discussed this yet?

I just filled out a survey that asked the following questions:
“If as part of your Netflix membership you could instantly watch movies and TV episodes on your TV with your PS/3 or XBOX 360, how likely would you/anyone in your household be to do that?”

We all knew this was coming, but 2008 exciting! The survey continues with specific details for PS3:

“Now you can watch movies from Netflix instantly by using your Internet-connected Playstation 3. Simply insert a special Netflix disc into your PS/3 to enable instant movie streaming. The disc is available from Netflix for a one-time fee of $3.”

and Xbox 360:

“Now you can watch movies from Netflix instantly by using your existing Xbox LIVE account. You can choose from over 7,000 movies and TV series, and your choice starts playing on your TELEVISION in as little as 30 seconds. ”

Additionally there are no additional fees as this says:

“Watching is included in your Netflix plan. There are no extra fees and there are no limits on how much you can watch. ”

This is exciting news indeed and im DEFINATELY IN! No more hooking up my laptop to watch Netflix movies!

*UPDATE*
Those people doubting this is legimate here a screenshot of the PS3 portion of the survey(I have removed the actual link for I am unsure if Netflix want’s random people filling out the survey) other people have also confirmed receiving this email:

 

[polyh3dron]

Does anyone have any idea if the Pixar shorts Blu-ray is going to be released as a standalone in the UK?

They released is as a double feature with Ratatouille yesterday, but I'll be damned If I'm spending £25+ on a film I don't really like the look of in order to get the "bonus" disc.

...Ratatouille...a film I don't really like the look of

FAIL.

 

[KZObsessed]

Crap ... I think I missed the Amazon UK B2G1.

They just started another one. Ends Feb 24th.

God awful selection tho.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&plgroup=1&docId=1000147763&plpage=1

 

[Peru]

Can't believe some of the sour words I hear about Ratatouille. I've been somewhat of a Pixar cynic and found Finding Nemo to be beautiful but predictable. Ratatouille I loved. What Ratatouille did right was its depiction of the goals and dreams of its characters and the incredible milieu it created out of Paris, the restaurant, the streets - alongside the usual perfect visuals and physical comedy choreography.

 

[Xater]

Rat was awesome. One of the best from Pixar and so much better than Cars. I actually hated Cars, it wasn't funny and I was pretty bored through the whole movie.

I really hope Disney will bring out Incredibles and Monsters Inc. soon. Especially the Monsters Inc because I think it's my favorite from Pixar.

 

[xS1TH L0RDx]

the first time i saw rat i definitely liked it, but not as much as other pixar titles. upon another viewing it's my second favorite pixar film, right behind finding nemo.

 

[Christopher]

Cars was actually pretty solid, although it took forever to get off the ground, it's still 10000x better then anything pumped out of Dreamworks.

 

[TAJ]

I'm referring to on BD. There haven't been a huge amount of older catalog releases form the BD-only companies.

Many of the catalog releases have been relatively newer films, that already had decent masters available. Disney specifically has mostly avoided this. Basically all of their big movies are only hitting once they've been remastered.

What's your definition of big? For example, all of the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced summer action movies they've released recently have had video transfers that were 5-9 years old. And Scary Movie is probably the most incompetent catalog release from any studio. (EDIT: Wait, no, it's second after Traffic)
But Sony is probably the biggest offender when it comes to dated transfers. (in terms of % of titles released) I've avoided a shitload of their releases because of this.
The only reason there aren't as many dated catalog transfers from BD-only companies is that there are less catalog titles from them, period.

 

[SUPREME1]

Does anyone have any idea if the Pixar shorts Blu-ray is going to be released as a standalone in the UK?

They released is as a double feature with Ratatouille yesterday, but I'll be damned If I'm spending £25+ on a film I don't really like the look of in order to get the "bonus" disc.

Ratatouille Blu-ray + 1080P 50in. Plasma = You are crazy.

 

[Raistlin]

What's your definition of big? For example, all of the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced summer action movies they've released recently have had video transfers that were 5-9 years old. And Scary Movie is probably the most incompetent catalog release from any studio. (EDIT: Wait, no, it's second after Traffic)
But Sony is probably the biggest offender when it comes to dated transfers. (in terms of % of titles released) I've avoided a shitload of their releases because of this.
The only reason there aren't as many dated catalog transfers from BD-only companies is that there are less catalog titles from them, period.

Well, 5-9 yo seems to be new compared to some of the HD-DVD catalog releases

 

[Oni Jazar]

Have you guys discussed this yet?

I just filled out a survey that asked the following questions:
“If as part of your Netflix membership you could instantly watch movies and TV episodes on your TV with your PS/3 or XBOX 360, how likely would you/anyone in your household be to do that?”

We all knew this was coming, but 2008 exciting! The survey continues with specific details for PS3:

“Now you can watch movies from Netflix instantly by using your Internet-connected Playstation 3. Simply insert a special Netflix disc into your PS/3 to enable instant movie streaming. The disc is available from Netflix for a one-time fee of $3.”

and Xbox 360:

“Now you can watch movies from Netflix instantly by using your existing Xbox LIVE account. You can choose from over 7,000 movies and TV series, and your choice starts playing on your TELEVISION in as little as 30 seconds. ”

Additionally there are no additional fees as this says:

“Watching is included in your Netflix plan. There are no extra fees and there are no limits on how much you can watch. ”

This is exciting news indeed and im DEFINATELY IN! No more hooking up my laptop to watch Netflix movies!

*UPDATE*
Those people doubting this is legimate here a screenshot of the PS3 portion of the survey(I have removed the actual link for I am unsure if Netflix want’s random people filling out the survey) other people have also confirmed receiving this email:

Sweet news! I'm dying to be able to view the "Watch Instantly" movies on my PS3/360. What the hell is with needing to buy a disc though for PS3?

 

[TAJ]

Well, 5-9 yo seems to be new compared to some of the HD-DVD catalog releases

Waterworld and Spartacus immediately come to mind, but this is absolutely not a HD-DVD/BD issue.

 

[Burai]

FAIL.

Sorry man, I'm just fed up of these CG animations. I miss the days of decent cartoons with stand-out, well designed fun characters doing crazy things. Nowadays, animation is about making things complex and lifelike rather than doing it because it was fun and you just couldn't do it with real life actors.

I don't deny for one second that the stories are well written and that the graphics are as impressive as you'll find in the field. I just can't be arsed with it because they miss the point of what a cartoon should be.

And that's also why I want the Pixar collection. A lot of their short films encapsulate exactly what great animation should be about.

 

[Burai]

Ratatouille Blu-ray + 1080P 50in. Plasma = You are crazy.

I buy entertainment, not tech demos.

I can appreciate that Ratatouille will look amazing on my TV, but that's not what my beef is about.

 

[dallow_bg]

I guess they should have made Ratatouille live action with a stop motion rat.
Or perhaps a trained one.


Good thing it's simply a good film, regardless of whether it's CG or not.

 

[polyh3dron]

I don't deny for one second that the stories are well written and that the graphics are as impressive as you'll find in the field. I just can't be arsed with it because they miss the point of what a cartoon should be.

WAT

It's not a cartoon. It's Pixar.

 

[Burai]

WAT

It's not a cartoon. It's Pixar.

What does that even mean?

 

[navanman]

Maybe because they were 5 mins cartoons, you can't have a 90 film with Tom & Jerry going at each other without it being a big piece of shit.

 

[Nightz]

Went over to Best Buy during my lunch break to check out some laptops and phones. I passed by the home theater section and saw an employee talking to a lady in front of a big screen TV that was playing a Blu-ray movie. I was curious to hear what kind of information this guy was telling her, so I kinda stuck around and eavesdropped.

It was a pleasant surprise to hear him talking about the whole Warner Brothers situation, and how Universal and Paramount are probably going to switch soon. Then he went on to talking about picture quality and such, so I left, smiling to myself, and thinking, "I salute you, Best Buy Blu-ray supporting employee guy!" A real man of genius.

Glad to see this store is already starting to promote Blu.

 

[Peru]

Thank god conventions on what a "cartoon" should be like are there to be broken. Digital animation in full-length movies have been just that - a series of sketches and gags and a loose plot with parody-filled dialoge. Pixar are really the only ones in CG movies to care about quality moviemaking first and foremost.

 

[polyh3dron]

What does that even mean?

What does "cartoon" mean?

It's a term used by people such as yourself to discredit the artistic integrity of animation.

Those people usually want animation to stay in a certain box where it's all just Tom & Jerry, Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse style storytelling.

 

[Raistlin]

Sweet news! I'm dying to be able to view the "Watch Instantly" movies on my PS3/360. What the hell is with needing to buy a disc though for PS3?

Yeah, that's a bit weird ... I wonder if they can have some sort of installer you put on the HDD?

Also interesting is that it is supposed to effectively be instantaneous, where the 360 needs to buffer for 30 seconds. Sounds like the implementations are quite different.

 

[Raistlin]

Waterworld and Spartacus immediately come to mind, but this is absolutely not a HD-DVD/BD issue.

It is an HD DVD/BD issue, in so far as which studios are currently supporting which format.

 

[Burai]

Thank god conventions on what a "cartoon" should be like are there to be broken. Digital animation in full-length movies have been just that - a series of sketches and gags and a loose plot with parody-filled dialoge. Pixar are really the only ones in CG movies to care about quality moviemaking first and foremost.

That really doesn't explain Cars...

Besides, I think people are missing the point of what I mean. I'm not saying everything has to be a non-stop action packed Tom & Jerry or Daffy Duck. I'm just saying that Pixar's characters can't hold a candle to those either in terms of design and characterisation.

Nothing is exaggerated enough or silly enough. Everything sticks to real world convention. Which is ironic considering most of their movies are about ridiculous premises - talking cars, talking fish, monsters from a parallel universe who scare kids to earn a wage.

Yet they never touch on anything as wonderful as the Flintstones' living props or Vulture Squadron's impossible-to-fly armed planes.

And that's why I'm bored with it all. I'm not asking everyone else to be. Everyone is perfectly entitled to enjoy whatever they want for whatever reason they want to. I'm just saying that I'm not wanting to spend the best part of 30 notes on something I'm bored of just to get to the bit I want.

Those people usually want animation to stay in a certain box where it's all just Tom & Jerry, Bugs Bunny and Mickey Mouse style storytelling.

Absolutely not. I could point you to something like Spirited Away to show how you can make an animated feature with all the storytelling and art you'd expect from a serious motion picture, but without losing the charm and fantasy of a cartoon.

 

[TAJ]

It is an HD DVD/BD issue, in so far as which studios are currently supporting which format.

To start, which studio do you feel is holding back the most titles because they want to do restorations on a large scale? And, do you dispute that Sony is the most remaster-shy studio? (Close Encounters was due to Spielberg pressure, Fifth Element was damage control)

 

[dallow_bg]

To start, which studio do you feel is holding back the most titles because they want to do restorations on a large scale? And, do you dispute that Sony is the most remaster-shy studio?

Warner, and I'd say Disney is the most remaster shy studio so far.

 

[TAJ]

Warner, and I'd say Disney is the most remaster shy studio so far.

Warner has certainly had the highest highs. They've also sent many movies to die. Also, Warner went to 4k on flagship titles a year before exclusivity.

 

[dallow_bg]

Warner has certainly had the highest highs. They've also sent many movies to die.

Get used to double dipping.

 

[Cold-Steel]

Whatever happened to that guy who "took one for the team" on this forum?

Shouldn't Best Buy welcome him back as Raptor Jesus? :lol

 

[TAJ]

Get used to double dipping.

I bought my first DVD-Video player in April '97. I'm definitely used to it. (also Full Metal Jacket, Troy...)

 

[captive]

This is great, taken from the Megadeth forums, in response to someone saying blu-ray will be around for a while.

how can you be so sure?
its a format that is only selling out of hype, and shitty at to boot.
the market does not require HD movies yet. and by the time it does, who is to say blue ray wont be obsolete?

not saying it will, but to predict how long a storage medium will be around is complete bullshit.
Every one is wrong when it comes to that type of guess work.

DVD's will be around for a long time? why can i say this? well it was the fasted storage medium to ever catch on. and i have yet to find my self watching a DVD and going "i wish the quality was higher"
most of the advantages of blue ray comes in the audio department, and people that own 5.1 systems have them set up right like 5% of the time. Most people are idiots with technology and only buy it if it makes them look more well to do.
We are talking about difference only noticible by a select few. sure most people think that they can tell the difference, but i am more then willing to bet they can't.
So long as DVD's do their job (which they do very well I may add) and are sold for cheaper, they will always out sell HD disks.

We are only 3 a few short years away from having rewritable holodisks. Something that may dramatically change the market for storage mediums.

This arrogant prick is studying to be a sound engineer too.

 

[OokieSpookie]

This is great, taken from the Megadeth forums, in response to someone saying blu-ray will be around for a while.


This arrogant prick is studying to be a sound engineer too.

Did anyone tell the flaw that blu has outpaced dvd already?

 

[sonycowboy]

Sweet news! I'm dying to be able to view the "Watch Instantly" movies on my PS3/360. What the hell is with needing to buy a disc though for PS3?

Perhaps is uses Blu-Ray specs internet functionality on a Blu-Ray disc, which was ostensibly to allow movie studios to download / stream trailers, games, and other content to Blu-Ray players?

They'd be able to get around any licensing / royalty / approval issues directly related to the PS3 and just have to file for a Blu-Ray content licensor.

Not sure how Microsoft would ever approve it through Xbox Live given they control the service. Neither Sony or Microsoft would be likely to allow NetFlix to use their hardware for movie rentals as they have or will have competing products.

 

[Raistlin]

To start, which studio do you feel is holding back the most titles because they want to do restorations on a large scale? And, do you dispute that Sony is the most remaster-shy studio? (Close Encounters was due to Spielberg pressure, Fifth Element was damage control)

Warner and Disney have been holding back a lot of content due to restorations.


As for Sony being remaster shy, I would agree they could do better with their catalog stuff. The good news on their front is that they've been mastering their newer movies with the intention of HD for a number of years ... so most of that stuff should be fine.

 

[Raistlin]

Perhaps is uses Blu-Ray specs internet functionality on a Blu-Ray disc, which was ostensibly to allow movie studios to download / stream trailers, games, and other content to Blu-Ray players?

They'd be able to get around any licensing / royalty / approval issues directly related to the PS3 and just have to file for a Blu-Ray content licensor.

Not sure how Microsoft would ever approve it through Xbox Live given they control the service. Neither Sony or Microsoft would be likely to allow NetFlix to use their hardware for movie rentals as they have or will have competing products.

I think you're on to something.

I'm sure whatever their way of handling it is some sort of backdoor.

 

[jeremy_ricci]

Sorry man, I'm just fed up of these CG animations. I miss the days of decent cartoons with stand-out, well designed fun characters doing crazy things. Nowadays, animation is about making things complex and lifelike rather than doing it because it was fun and you just couldn't do it with real life actors.

I don't deny for one second that the stories are well written and that the graphics are as impressive as you'll find in the field. I just can't be arsed with it because they miss the point of what a cartoon should be.

And that's also why I want the Pixar collection. A lot of their short films encapsulate exactly what great animation should be about.

Wait a minute...

You're telling me the idea of a Rat being a Chef in Paris, controlling a young boy by his hair, and seeing the 'ghost' of a long dead French Chef isn't "what a cartoon should be"?

WTF are you expecting? Acme anvils and Rabbit Hunting fat men? Honestly. Ratatouille is EVERYTHING a "cartoon" (ugh) should be. Simple, exciting, funny, small emotional swings, and outrageous characters.

You haven't even SEEN it, and you're saying it's not what animation should be about?

Amazingly epic fail. Big time.